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International conference in Armenia highlights importance of prosecutorial independence in cases involving public officials

A high-level international conference held on 1-2 July in Dilijan, Armenia, addressed the critical issue of prosecutorial independence and impartiality, particularly in the context of criminal prosecution of public officials for offences such as corruption and money laundering.

Organised by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, in co-operation with the Council of Europe and the European Union, the event marked the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office and Prosecution Service Day.

The conference brought together Armenian officials and international partners, including the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan, government representatives, judges, and law enforcement officials. The Council of Europe was represented by Maxime Longangué, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, Lilit Daneghian, Deputy Head of the Co-operation Programmes Division on Legal Reforms and Human Rights, and Tomislav Sertić, Head of Unit in the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division. Mr Tomasz Ostropolski, Deputy Head of Political Section, represented the European Union Delegation to Armenia.

International participants included the Prosecutors General of Lithuania and Malta, prosecutors from Austria, Greece, Poland, Czechia, the former President of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors Jana Zezulova, and high-level representatives from Eurojust, the International Association of Prosecutors, and accredited diplomatic missions in Armenia.

Opening the conference, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan underlined the critical function of law enforcement in securing peace, justice, and prosperity. In this context he stated that, Corruption is one of the key problems that causes issues in multiple dimensions of any reality. “The government’s policy is to demonstrate zero tolerance towards corruption and corrupt practices, and we remain consistent in that path.”

Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan marked the occasion by thanking her colleagues for their dedication and reaffirming the importance of responsibility and integrity in their work: “We are responsible not only for ourselves but also for those around us and those who trust us. I want you to carry out your mission with a sense of duty, great responsibility, upright posture, and a clear conscience.” She also shared updates on Armenia’s asset recovery efforts. Since December 2024, 17.5 billion AMD in recovered funds have been transferred to a unified account, reflecting Armenia’s firm commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

In a pre-recorded video message, Clare Ovey, Director of Human Rights at the Council of Europe, highlighted the importance of peer exchange in strengthening prosecutorial systems: “The role of prosecutors is complex, demanding, and of vital importance. That is why opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange – such as this conference – are so important. The stronger this co-operation becomes, the weaker the grip of transnational organised crime on our continent.”

Speaking on behalf of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Tomasz Ostropolski, emphasised the EU’s support: “This high-level conference is a useful platform for reflecting on priorities, achieved results and lessons learnt. The EU confirms its commitment to supporting national authorities in the fight against corruption and in strengthening the rule of law in Armenia through provision of project and policy support to key sector stakeholders.”

This was the third international conference jointly organised by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia, the Council of Europe, and the European Union, which served to promote dialogue on European standards and best practices in ensuring prosecutorial independence, especially in politically sensitive cases, and to foster international cooperation in addressing challenges to the rule of law.

This event is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the projects“Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia”, and “Enhancing National Capacities for Effective Prevention and Fight against Economic Crime in Armenia.”

DILIJAN, ARMENIA 1-2 JULY 2025
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The goal and objective of the project

The project "Support to the justice reform in Armenia" aimed to ensure that citizens of Armenia enjoy their rights in line with the European standards and benefit from accountable and professional justice system. It supported Armenian authorities to further advance the reform of the judicial system by strengthening its independence, accountability and professionalism. It also aimed to aid Armenian authorities ensure effective implementation of the new criminal justice legislation in line with European human rights standards.

The project was implemented as part of the third phase of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance” running from 2023 until 2027. It built on the results of the previous phases of the joint programme in the field of strengthening justice. (Phase I 2015-2018 and Phase II 2019-2023).

Project duration

The project runs from 1 March 2023 to 28 February 2026. 

The budget of the project

► The total project budget is EUR 1 430 000.
► The overall Programme budget is EUR 19.3 M (80% is co-funded by the European Union and 20% by the Council of Europe).

Who benefits from the project?
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Constitutional Court
  • Court of Cassation
  • General Assembly of Judges
  • Association of Judges
  • Justice Academy
  • Supreme Judicial Council
  • General Prosecutor’s Office
  • Human Rights Defender’s Office
  • Office of the Representative of Armenia on International Legal Matters
  • Civil society organisations
  • The general public, including persons seeking the protection of their rights in courts
How did the project work?

Through a combination of tailored policy/legislative, capacity-building and awareness raising actions.

Achievements

► National authorities have the necessary capacity and tools to implement the Judicial and Legal Reforms Strategy for 2022-2026 in line with European standards and best practices.

► National authorities align legal framework and policies on judicial independence, impartiality and accountability with CoE standards.

► Judicial self-governing bodies’ and courts' capacity is enhanced to act in a professional, transparent and accountable manner.

► Capacity of the criminal justice stakeholders is strengthened to ensure effective implementation of new criminal justice legislation through harmonised policies, institutional and legal frameworks, and implementation practices.

Reference documents and additional information
Publications and resources

Publications

 Gender equality in the judiciary of Armenia: challenges and opportunities

 Gender Impact Assessment - The Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia and its Derivative Legal Acts

 Handbook on Improving the Quality of Judicial Decisions

 Mediation Referral Toolkit (in Armenian)

 The Administration and you

 Volume of Decisions of the Civil and Administrative Chamber for the period 01․01․2021 – 01․07․2022

Volumes of decision of the Admin and Civil Chambers of the Court of Cassation for the period of 01.07.2022 – 31.12.2023

 Volume of Decisions of the Criminal Chamber for the year 2021 by the Court of Cassation

CCJE Opinion n°25 (2022) on freedom of expression of judges (Armenian version)

 Volumes of decision of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation of Armenia (in Armenian)

Opinions of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) - Collection of Opinions Nos 1 to 18 (2017-2023)

 


 

What is the Partnership for Good Governance?

The “Partnership for Good Governance” (PGG) is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe for strengthening good governance in the Eastern Partnership region*. The "Partnership for Good Governance" provides tailor-made support to Eastern Partnership countries to bring their legislation and practice closer to European standards in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy. It supports, in particular, Eastern Partnership countries’ domestic reforms to strengthen justice, counter economic crime, promote equality and non-discrimination, advance women’s access to justice and combat violence against women.

* While the Partnership for Good Governance does not include activities with the participation of the Belarusian authorities, activities may be organised with the representatives of Belarusian civil society and democratic forces as appropriate in line with the European Council Conclusions of February 2022 and the Decision of the Council of Europe Ministers’ Deputies of March 2022.